SIRM’s IVF Outcome Based Reporting System
Written by Arpee on September 30, 2008 – 10:48 pm -As mentioned in my earlier post re More Research About IVF in SIRM, SIRM locations do not report to SART (except for the Dallas, TX location). 2 locations - Las Vegas and New Jersey - report to CDC instead; and the rest, are not listed in SART.
I also mentioned that the SIRM website has an article criticizing the current reporting system for lacking the verifiability of a clinic’s self-reported IVF statistics and for its inability to compare “complex” vs straightforward IVF cases.
Instead, SIRM has the Outcome Based Reporting System (OBRS) which breaks down the stats into Category A-D based on relative categories of complexity (# failed IVF cycles, FSH level, #IU gonadotropin/day, # eggs retrieved) broken down by age. This is useful then when comparing case complexities.
Here is the latest OBRS for 2007-Q1-Q4.
Now, patient-me will try to eyeball where I fall under and what the table is saying…
- I think I am Category A since I have no IVF experience yet and thus no retrieved eggs yet as well. Also, I have FSH 3.5<9 and I needed 150-75<600IU/day Follistim to stimulate me.
- The stats are 58% clinical pregnancies, 8% miscarriages, 57% ongoing pregnancies and 25% multiple pregnancies based on 62 cycles. The average age from the 38-40 yo patients is 38 which means that all those who cycled are 38 years old. So I guess, this is not who I should compare myself to.
- Going worse case to the 41yo column - the stats are 25% clinical pregnancies, 33% miscarriages, 16% ongoing pregnancies and 0% multiple pregnancies based on 12 cycles. Not too different from TFC stats…
……
One disadvantage I see on the OBRS is that live births are not updated even for the earlier years where there is already sufficient time to gather information already.
Also, it is not clear which clinic/s is/are included in the stats. Having OBRS for each clinic could be more helpful for consumers like us.
Eventually, numbers are just that - numbers. Each case will be unique on its own. To me though, it does not hurt to know the numbers!
Whaddaya think?
Tags: IVF, live birth, OBRS, pregnancy, sirm, stats
Posted in IVF, In Between Cycles, Infertility Learnings |
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:29 pm
I read this earlier today and remember how I poured over the numbers for the clinic I went through. I finally stopped when I realized I was with a good clinic and like you said, they are just that - numbers.
You asked me about my scar tissue today. With the delivery of my 2nd child, I had a condition called “placenta accreta”. About 5 weeks post partum, I started bleeding BAD. I ended up in the ER and the u/s showed “something” was still in there. I had a D&C the next day and when that “something” was pulled out, it ended up being a piece of my placenta that grew ~into~ my uterine wall. So that is why I was so filled with scar tissue. Well, they performed a surgery to remove it and the healing process itself causes scar tissue. So they gave me tons of estrogen to build my lining nice and thick so the uterine walls wouldn’t be touching during the healing process. Except I have shitty lining. So it would really grow together. It was a vicious cycle. 4 surgeries for me to rid myself of it.
October 4th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Do you know ivfconnections.net? There are thousands of people on those boards and a lot of information for people comparing clinics.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Well, you know what I think - we went with SIRM!!
But I’m not a category A, I’m a category D
… those were painful words.
I agree with Nancy, at the end of the day, they are just numbers and we are SO not in control!
My fertility therapist (yeah, I’ve got a special therapist!!) said that you should look at infertility like a three legged stool. One leg is the medicine - and you are getting the best medicine made for this. One leg is the doctors - and you should pick the best doctor that you can - and you should trust that decision (or move on), and the third leg is your own health - really the only thing we can control is our own health - working out, getting enough sleep, good nutrition, de-stressify, finding support in others … etc.
… without the three legs your chair won’t work.
I hope you feel confident in your “doctor’s” leg of the stool.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:25 am
THose stats suck for me since I am a category b/d. Sigh…
Good luck to you!